Political commentary from the LA Times

Obama picks Sotomayer for Supreme Court, sources say

But President Obama has selected federal appeals court judge Sonia Sotomayor as his first Supreme Court pick -- the first Latino to serve on the nation's highest court.

Born to Puerto Rican parents in the Bronx, within shouting distance of Yankee Stadium, Sotomayor, 54, is a liberal-enough judge to inspire plenty of long knives from Republicans.

But Sotomayor also is likely to inspire plenty of cheers from Latinos -- a core political group to both parties -- and from every American who loves a good rags-to-riches story.

Her father, a tool-and-die worker with a third-grade education, died when she was 9 years old. Her mother, a nurse, raised Sotomayor and her younger brother, who is now a doctor, on a modest salary. In 1976, Sotomayor married while still a student at Princeton University and divorced in 1983.